Pasture forage

[El_Putzo]

I'm clearing 3 extra acres of woods for pasture in the future and was wondering what would be a good pasture grass to sow. I'm in central MO, and would like to stay away from fescue, even though I'm sure it will eventually take over whatever I plant. I've been reading a lot about Rye grass and bermuda. I don't think bermuda would be feasible as I am going to leave several trees for shade.

Any suggestions would be well appreciated.

 

[dun]

If I was starting from square one, I'ld probably go with a WSG mix. It would help with the July and August grazing. We've got a 20 odd acre field in WW now and as soon as we pull it off for hay we'll be putting WSG in there. Takes a little different management then CSG, especially fescue, but the increased summer production should be worth it. I hope anyway. Or you might try one of the novel endophyte fescues. The newer ones ar e suuposedly as persistent as KY31 within out the attendent endophyte problems.

dun

 

[El_Putzo]

I was thinking of sowing some oats or wheat on top of whatever I choose, just to hold the soil and give a little extra forage this first year. I won't be planting it till May 1 or so.

Which type of WSG? Indian grass, blue stem?

 

[dun]

I would think annual rye would be a good cover crop. Don;t know how much real grazing it would provide but it would give the ground some cover. A mixture of something like side oats, big and little bluestem, maybe a little indian grass. Unless you plan on having the seed harvested and sell it, pure stands of anything wouldn't work as well as a mixture. There is an outfit in Collins, something or other brothers if I remember partially correct, they have WSG blends. I'm going to use a crp mix but seeded at 1 1/2 times the recommended rate. There crp mix has wildflowers and forbes as a seperate bagged component, since I'm going to try to get around to reclaiming a couple of glades this year, I figured the flower and forbes would work well on them.

dun

 

[bwranch]

What kind of woods? Cedar or hardwood? We cleared about 20 ac last year, mostly cedar with a limited amount of oak/hickory mix. The ground was extremely acidic, and I think it's going to several years of lime to get it up to 6. I put it in red river crabgrass / lespedeza with a rye chaser. The rye didn't do nearly as well as I'd hoped, but it did hold the ground ok. Crabgrass did pretty well, the lespedeza was tremendous. Like Dun, I was looking for some July/August forage and it really did the trick, especially satisfying for a first year pasture. I've heard that the crabgrass does much better the second year, and I pulled off the pasture early enough that I got a good seed production from both the lespedeza and the crabgrass. Time will tell. Downside of the crabgrass/rye rotation is it has to be worked at least once a year. Don't discount the power of Lespedeza for summer grazing.

 

[El_Putzo]

The sprouts are mostly elm, black walnut and cedar. The mature trees are white oak, black oak and walnut. I was planning on doing a soil test once I got it cleared. I just started clearing saturday, and I'm not sure I'm going to get it done before the trees start getting leaves.

 

[jerry27150]

oats make an excellent pasture grass while the seeding is getting started. up here i plant birdsfoot treefoil, ladino clover, orchard grass. timothy, arkplus ( the new fescue) and a little reed canary.

 

[dun]

IThere is an outfit in Collins, something or other brothers if I remember partially correct, they have WSG blends.

At least I was right about the brothers. They're in Clinton not Collins

http://www.sharpbro.com/

dun